Film industry discusses black revolution

Natricia Duncan, Voice Reporter

WILL THERE be a black film renaissance in 2014?

This was one of the questions at a special screening of The Butler on Thursday.

The sold-out event at The Ritzy Cinema in Brixton aimed to dispel the myth that black films don't sell and discussed career routes into the industry.

The screening, produced by Carol Stewart, director of Chinara Events/Chinara Enterprises Ltd, in association with Marlon Palmer of Kush Promotions & PR, came after a survey of the United Kingdom's leading film companies revealed a lack of black, Asian, and ethnic minority executives in the industry.

Online film company Screen Daily studied 75 of the country's prominent companies, including studios, talent agencies, and those in production, sales, exhibition, distribution and post-production.

It found that none of the companies is led by a non-white executive and few have black and minority ethnic (BME) executives in their most senior ranks.

In 2012, Michael Foster, former co-chairman of agency ICM (now Independent Talent) and agent for stars, including Sacha Baron Cohen and Chris Evans, set up Creative Access, a paid-internship programme for BME people looking to break into the media industries.

In a rare interview, Foster spoke to Screen about his concerns for the film industry, which he believes is suffering from a lack of action and accountability.

"Film in the UK is the preserve of the white middle class like no other media sector," said Foster.

Aml Ameen, who appears in The Butler, spoke before the discussions took place last Thursday.

"It is important to highlight and discuss a black film industry because there is not yet a black film industry.

"It's something that is economically in its infancy stage, and even the presence of black British films is fleeting and few and far between," he said.